Ernest Bernau
Encyclopedia
Ernest Henry Lovell Bernau (6 April 1896 – 7 January 1966), sometimes known as Bill Bernau,
was a New Zealand cricket
er who played first-class cricket
from 1914–15 to 1927–28, and accompanied the New Zealand national cricket team on their tour of England in 1927.
Bernau took 12 wickets in a Hawke Cup
match (not first-class) for Wanganui against South Taranaki in December 1914,
and made his first-class debut in January 1915 for Hawke's Bay against Canterbury, scoring 31 and 8 and taking 4/88 in an innings defeat.
He did not play at that level again until he appeared for Minor Associations
against the Australians at the Basin Reserve
in March 1921. This was another innings defeat, and Bernau was personally unsuccessful, taking the single wicket of Alan Kippax
.
Bernau finally tasted victory at first-class level when he played for Wellington against
Auckland in the Plunket Shield in December 1922. Wellington ran out easy victors, thanks in no small part to Bernau, who scored 117 (his only century, including 20 fours) in the first innings, and took five wickets in the match.
In 1927, after several years playing minor cricket for Wanganui, Bernau was selected to tour England with the national side, and played in 16 first-class matches.
During the tour, he recorded his career-best bowling performance, claiming 6/35 against Glamorgan
at Cardiff Arms Park
.
Bernau's final first-class matches were back home in 1927–28, when he played twice for New Zealand against The Rest, and finally for Wellington against Canterbuy in the Plunket Shield.
was a New Zealand cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
from 1914–15 to 1927–28, and accompanied the New Zealand national cricket team on their tour of England in 1927.
Bernau took 12 wickets in a Hawke Cup
Hawke Cup
The Hawke Cup is a cricket competition for New Zealand's District Associations. Apart from 1910/11, 1912/13 and 2000/01 the competition has always been on a challenge basis. In order to win the Hawke Cup the challenger must beat the holder on their home ground...
match (not first-class) for Wanganui against South Taranaki in December 1914,
and made his first-class debut in January 1915 for Hawke's Bay against Canterbury, scoring 31 and 8 and taking 4/88 in an innings defeat.
He did not play at that level again until he appeared for Minor Associations
Minor Associations cricket team
The Minor Associations cricket team, representing the Minor Associations in New Zealand, has appeared once at first-class level, playing against the touring Australians at the Basin Reserve in March 1921, losing by an innings and 6 runs...
against the Australians at the Basin Reserve
Basin Reserve
The Basin Reserve , is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand, used for Test, first-class and one-day cricket. Some argue that its proximity to the city, its Historic Place status and its age make it the most famous cricket ground in New Zealand...
in March 1921. This was another innings defeat, and Bernau was personally unsuccessful, taking the single wicket of Alan Kippax
Alan Kippax
Alan Falconer Kippax was a cricketer for New South Wales and Australia. Regarded as one of the great stylists of Australian cricket during the era between the two World Wars, Kippax overcame a late start to Test cricket to become a regular in the Australian team between the 1928–29 and...
.
Bernau finally tasted victory at first-class level when he played for Wellington against
Auckland in the Plunket Shield in December 1922. Wellington ran out easy victors, thanks in no small part to Bernau, who scored 117 (his only century, including 20 fours) in the first innings, and took five wickets in the match.
In 1927, after several years playing minor cricket for Wanganui, Bernau was selected to tour England with the national side, and played in 16 first-class matches.
During the tour, he recorded his career-best bowling performance, claiming 6/35 against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
.
Bernau's final first-class matches were back home in 1927–28, when he played twice for New Zealand against The Rest, and finally for Wellington against Canterbuy in the Plunket Shield.
Further reading
- Mike Batty. Bill Bernau and the 1927 New Zealand Cricket Tour of England. Auckland: Mike Batty (self-published), 2000.